Dealing with Generational Differences

I recently got asked by a younger nurse how she could avoid dealing with older nurses when she travels from one facility to the next. She said she found them difficult and wanted suggestions on how best to deal with getting along with them.

When I was younger, I used to think that I had to quit nursing by a certain age to avoid turning into an older nurse with an attitude! However, now that I am fast approaching their age, I think differently.

First, it really helps if you can put yourself in the shoes of someone else and, in this case, it’s the shoes of a mature nurse. These “old time nurses” come from a different generation and have a different work ethic to younger nurses. Many of them have aches and pains, they may have parents that they are taking care of at home as well as commitments to their children—such as putting them through college or helping with grandchildren. They no longer fit in with the crowd that is younger than them and they may feel threatened in some way by nurses who grasp technology and new systems a lot quicker than they do. Furthermore, as an experienced nurse, they are often bogged down with added work responsibilities.

One mature nurse whom I spoke with said that the best thing in dealing with her is to say something like: “I can tell you are having a bad day…is there something I can do to help?” Showing respect, concern and tenderness toward your older coworkers could go a long way in helping to bridge communication gaps and generational differences.

How Do Travelers Develop Professionally?

Travel nurses have the unique experience to develop professionally in a variety of ways throughout their assignments. From working with many different experts around the world to learning new techniques and skills, travelers have ample opportunity to develop professionally on each and every assignment. They are also exposed to all types of technology utilized in their field across the United States. Travelers are challenged at every assignment to do their jobs in different ways.

Over time, travelers become very knowledgeable and extremely flexible in a variety of situations. This creates a nurse that can respond quickly to emergency situations.

Travelers also become much better at dealing with different types of people as they have to break into new groups every few months. A seasoned traveler carries many more experiences and memories in nursing than a permanent nurse that stays in one place and works with the same people, the same patient population and gradual changing technology. Travelers can jump start their professional development and cultivate skills that will help them in many different situations in and out of the hospital.

How Can I be Sure that I’ll Get Good Housing on my Travel Assignment?

Feeling comfortable, secure and happy in your new residence is important. You want to feel that you have a nice place to retreat to at the end of your shift, where you can relax and not worry about anything.

The good news is that most travel nurse companies go to great lengths to find comfortable and secure housing for their travelers. However, they may not be able to go to all of these places in the United States and personally check them out, which means that on occasion, there might be something that isn’t to your liking.

My advice is that you take an active role in making sure that your housing on assignment meets your standards and is along the lines of what you want. Tell your recruiter ahead of time if you have any preferences or special requests (traveling with a pet, need a balcony, need undercover parking, etc.). Once you have been assigned a housing complex, you can ask for the name and location and look it up online ahead of time to find out what the housing looks like and what facilities are on the property. The following Web sites are good places to start: www.rentnet.com, www.apartments.com.

In my experience, travel companies are always willing to work with you to ensure that your housing meets your needs. Even if you get to your destination and aren’t happy about something, they will work with you to get things sorted out to ensure that you are comfortable and happy in your new home.